Retractable landing gear



Set. 1, 1925.

. 1,552,259 P. G. ZIMMERMANN ET A1.

RETRACTABLE LANDING GEAR 3 Sheets-She-et l Original Filed Nov. 17, 1922 /N VE N 70H5 ATTOHNE Sept. 1, 1525. .1,552,259 y P. G. ZIMMERMANN ET AL RETRACTABLE LANDING` GEAR Original Filed Nov, 17, 1922 3 Sheets-5116811.22

A TTOH/VEY l Sept., l, 1925. A1,552,259

P.'G'. ZIMMERMANN ET Al.

"RETRACTABLE LANDING GEAR Original Filed NOV. 17, 1922 5 Sheets sheet 3 I INVENTUH Patented Sept. 1, 1.925.

UNITED STATES 1,552,259 PATENT OFFICE.

BAUL G. ZIMIERMANN AND BORIS V. KORVIN-KROUKOVSKY, OF KEYPOBT, NEW JER- BEY, ASSIGNOBS TO AEROIIARINE PLANE & MOTOR COMPANY, F NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BETRACTABLELANDING GEAR.

I vCondxnmtimi of Serial No. 601,467, led November 17, 1922. Divided and this application led July 11, 192s. serial 1ro. 050,770.

America and of Russia, and both residents of lKeyport, in the county of Monmouth and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Retractable Landing Gear, of

l which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a landing` gear for dying-boats or the like,

of simple and advantageous construction, strong and easily operatable, to the end that the gear can be retracted so as to be clear of the water or positioned for alighting on land. y

In the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation showing onehalf of the landing gear; i

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, on a small scale, of a flying-boat with the landing gear attached thereto;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, on a larger scale, with parts in section and parts broken away; and

' Flg. 4 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 1.

The drawings illustrate so much of a flying-boat as is necessary for an understanding of the invention. 1 is the boat or central flotation body, and 2 is a wing. The landing gear is duplicated at the two sides, so that a rdescription of one side will be suiiicient.

An axle 3 is hinged at its inner end to a fitting 4 on the side of the body4 above the water-line, so as to be capable of swinging upward. In the landing position it extends laterally outward from the body, and its wheel 5 is substantially vertical.

A V-strut frame 6, comprising front and rear members 7 8, is likewise hinged to the body, in the same longitudinal line With the pivot of the. axle hinge. The `fittings 9 and 10 on the body, to which the inner ends of the members of this frame are pivoted, are in front and in rear, respectively, of the fitting 4. The frame 6 also extends laterally from the body in the landing posi-v tion 5 and the outer ends of its members are united by a cradle 11, having elastic retainers 12. A spool 13 is placed slidably yon the axle, and an elastic 14 is wrapped over the spooland under the cradle.

.A .bifurcated translatable strut 15p is pivoted at its lower or outer end to the outer part of the hinged strut frame 6, and in the landing position inclines upward and inward to an upper point of support on the body. The lower ends ofthe members of the bifurcated strut are ivoted to ears 16 on the cradle portion of t e V-strut frame, at opposite sides, forwardly and rearwardly of the vertical kplane of the axle.

The upper or inner ends of the members of the translatable strut, in the present preferred construction, are pivot/ed to a nut 17 which lies received between the members; and this nut is on a vertical screw-shaft 18, which is supported rotatably b a fitting 19 beneath the wing and by a suitable bearing or 'bearings 20 in the body. The hull shown is of a kind having lateral sponsons 21, into which the lower `portions of the shafts (therebeing one at each side) pass. The two screw-shafts, of which only one is shown, are connected for simultaneous operation by a transverse shaft ,suitably supported in the body and bevel geared at its opposite ends, as seen at 22to the lower ends of the screw-shafts.

A sprocket-wheel 23 on the transverse shaft receives a sprocket chain 24, which passes forward to an operating wheel 25, which the pilot can turn by a crank to raise and lower the two parts of the landin gear, in order to retract and toextend 1t for landing, respectively.

In landing, theupper ends of the translatable struts are firmly supported, by the abutment of the screw-threads of the nuts against the screw-threads of the shafts. The nuts, which form the upper terminals of the translatable struts, are formed at their inner sides to engage guides 26 fixed drect l to the sides of the body. This relieves t e screws of any bending strain and 'prevents any possibility of jamming. Other specific arrangements of a ,guide parallel with the screw-shaft to be engaged by the nut or the end of the translatable strut may be devised.

This application is a continuation of our application Serial No. 601,467, filed November 17, 1922, and claims generic to the two ing condition and movable to retract the illustrated forms are included herein. Still other forms may be devised.

What we claim as new is:

1. A retractable landing gear for aircraft having a body, comprising an axle hinged to the body to extend laterall therefrom, a strut frame separately hinge to the body to extend laterally and having an outer portion passing under the axle, an elastic connection between the axle and said portion, and atranslatable strut pivoted to the outer part of the hinged strut frame, to incline upward and inward therefrom in the landlanding gear upwardly and to extend it for landing. y

2. A retractable landing gear for aircraft having a body, comprising an axle hinged to the body to extend laterally therefrom, a strut frame separately hinged to the body,

to extend laterally and having an outer pori tion passing under the axle, an elastic connection between the axle and said portion, a translatable strut pivoted to the outer part of the hinged strut frame, to incline upward and inward therefrom in the landing condition and movable to retract the landing gear upwardly and to extend it for landing, and an abutment support for sustaining the upper end of the translatable strut for land- A retractable landing gear for aircraft having a body, comprising an axle hinged to the body to extendlaterally therefrom, a strut frame separately hinged to the body to extend laterally and having an outer portion passing under the axle, an elastic connection between the axle and said portion, a translatable strut pivoted to the outer end of the hinged strut frame, to incline upward and inward therefrom to a point of support in the landing condition and movable to rehaving a otationbdy, comprising an axle hinged to the body to extend laterally therefrom, a strut frame likewise hinged to the body to extend laterally and comprising front and rear members and a cradle unit.- ing the'outer ends of said members, a spool on the outer porti-on -of the axle resting in the cradle, the axle being slidable lengthwise in the spool, an elastic wrapped about the cradle and spool, and a translatable strut pivoted to the o-uter part of the hinged strut frame, to incline upward and inward therefrom to a point of support in the landing conditionv and movable to retract the landing gear upwardly and to extend it.

5. A retractable landing gear for aircraft having a body, comprising an axle hinged to the body toextend laterally therefrom, a strut frame separately hinged to the body to extend laterally Land having an outer portion passing under the axle, an elastic connection between the axle and said portion, and a translatable bifurcated strut pivoted to the outer part of the hinged strut frame, to incline upward and inward therefrom in the landing condition and movable to retract the landing gear upwardly and to extend it for landing.

6. A retractable landing gear for aircraft having a'body, comprising an axle hinged to the body to extend laterall therefrom, a strut frame separately hinge to the body to extend laterally and having an outer portion passing under the axle, anelastic connection between the axle and said portion, and a translatable strut pivoted to the outer part of the hinged strut frame, to incline upward and inward therefrom in the landing condition and movable to retract the/ landing gear upwardly and to extend it for landing, an operating screw on the body, and a nut traveler on the body to which said translatable strut is connected.

PAUL G. ZIMMERMANN. BORIS V. KORVlN-KROUKOVSKY. 

